Unrequited
by Aneirin
Summary: a story of four: two men, two women. three trapped by unrequited love, and one who would change everything. set after Dirge of Cerberus. not listing the pairings. second genre may be wrong, and rating subject to change.
1. if you could

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7, just this story. My story. Not your's.

Author's Note: Sup ya'll? This's my first FF7 thing. Yay me! Anyway, I got the idea for this a while ago, and only recently have I been able to put it together properly. It deals with two pairings, and my thoughts on how they'd be possible after Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children (I only mention them separately because of what each ending did for the main character). Enjoy.

P.S. This is my longest first chapter ever. It's mostly because I didn't write it in a way that would be easy to split up into two smaller chapters. Besides, there's a lot going on with each character in this story, and I wanted to give three of the main characters the intros they needed.

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_I weave thee a tale of unrequited love,_

_Of a man, whose beloved, from this world, was gone,_

_And of two, each bound by this love, to another,_

_Neither believing they could ever move on,_

_Until they found each other._

888

Cloud was on his knees, tending to his flowers. No, not his flowers. _Their_ flowers. The pond was close by. It had been a long time since they had needed to use its cleansing properties to banish the Geostigma. It lay there if ever they needed it, never seeming to evaporate, never changing. Timeless.

He stopped long enough to take in the scent of the flowers. She would have been proud of him, he was sure. He'd done a good job tending them. Marlene told him so. And she knew more about how the Flower-Lady had tended her flowers than anyone.

Cloud breathed deeply, taking in as much of the fragrance as he could. He let it out in a contented sigh. He had done a good job. He looked around at the ruins of the church. It hadn't been touched since after the battle with Kadaj. He thought of the silver-headed young man, not with hatred or even contempt, but with kindness. He'd been confused when he did this. And She had forgiven him in the end. Anyone She was willing to forgive, Cloud was also.

Cloud stood up, taking one last look at the flowerbed. He smiled. They were safe here. No one ever touched them, or the church. He camped out in the building every Wednesday. He didn't know why he chose Wednesday, he just did. It's possible that it was because he had met Her on a Wednesday. He didn't really know though, so he just guessed.

He walked out of the church, heading towards his other home. He smiled. Tifa hated it when he was late to dinner. And she'd promised that next time he was, she'd send Barret after him. Tifa. His best friend. They had been friends since childhood, and Cloud knew that they would be friends their entire lives.

888

"Where is he?" asked the brunette, looking at the clock. "He's going to be late again!"

"Calm down," said a gruff voice. "He always gets here for dinner. 'Sides, he's down at the church tendin' his flowers. You know he does that every day."

"I know Barret," she said, "But still. I've warned him about being late to dinner."

"It's alright Tifa," said a young boy setting the table, "We can wait. The flowers are important to him. Marlene and I don't mind."

"Denzel's right," said Barret. "You jes' need to come down, Tifa. Them flowers is all he's got left of Aerith."

"I know," said Tifa, turning to look out the window. Cloud. He'd never gotten over Aerith. He'd said that she'd forgiven him- no, those weren't the words. He said that she'd told him she'd never blamed him for her death. But he still hadn't moved on, not completely. She sighed. Would he never fully realize how she felt about him? That she-

Her thoughts were cut off by the familiar sound of a motorcycle grinding to a halt. Outside, Cloud was being greeted by Marlene as he dismounted Fenrir.

"Cloud," Tifa heard Marlene say, "You're almost late again." Tifa imagined the smile on Cloud's face as he replied.

"_Almost_," he said. "Just _almost_. I'm still on time." Cloud came into the kitchen moments later, led by Marlene.

"Told you he'd be here on time," said Barret.

"She didn't think I'd make it?" asked Cloud, smiling. "When was the last time I was late?"

"Doesn't matter," said Tifa. "You've still got a history of being late." Cloud just smiled his faraway smile. It was useless to lecture him when he was like this. He was too at peace with the world right now. Tifa rolled her eyes and smiled. "Let's just eat, okay?"

888

Far to the north, in a forest of white, leafless trees, Vincent Valentine sat on the edge of a lake. It was a special lake, one which held memories for just about everyone who had participated in the battle three years prior. Vincent had already been to see Lucrecia. This was his other go-to spot, and where he usually spent the night. He gazed out on the mystical lake, thinking of the one who lay at the bottom.

He remembered the night She died. He had been there with Tifa, trying to stop a possessed Cloud. Just when it had seemed she was safe, He had come. Although it was Jenova's body, it was still Him. He had been in control, and He had killed Her. Cloud's grief had been enormous. Even the summoned Bahamut seemed to fight harder that night. Aerith had been the one who had looked after him the most.

Vincent closed his eyes for a moment. Aerith. Cloud's beloved. Vincent couldn't remember if Cloud had ever actually admitted it, but he knew. Cloud had loved Aerith so much. And then she was gone. Vincent knew of Cloud's occasional sojourn's into the other realm. Some would call it an "out of body experience", and others would call it "hallucination". But Vincent knew it was real. Cloud had talked with Aerith many times.

Vincent felt sympathy towards the blonde warrior. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one in that manner. He knew the others had they're own levels of identifying with such personal tragedy, but it was arguably Vincent's that came the closest. He too had loved a woman, who, due to another, he couldn't be with. Vincent had thought long and hard about Cloud's situation, and how it was connected with his own sin. No matter what, he would always feel that Sephiroth was in part his fault.

His red eyes opened again, in time to see something strange happening in the lake. 'The second time,' he thought. 'It shall happen again tomorrow night as well. I'll let him know. He deserves to know.' He watched the spot out on the lake, it's glow growing brighter. He had theories, but he wouldn't be sure until tomorrow.

888

"That was good," said Cloud, clearing the table. "Your cooking is improving, Tifa."

"I helped too ya know," said Barret from the kitchen. "It was my granny's recipe."

"Well," said Cloud, "She made wonderful spaghetti. I'm glad you still know the recipe." He brought the dishes to Barret, who Tifa had stuck with washing. Cloud was to dry ("Makes you wonder what _she'll_ be doing," Barret had muttered to Cloud).

Tifa was putting the leftovers in the fridge. She looked at Cloud and Barret, and then at Marlene and Denzel, who were helping to put the dishes away after Cloud dried them. She smiled. They looked just like a normal family. Only, they weren't a normal family. Barret, a surrogate father, Marlene and Denzel, her surrogate children, and Cloud... Cloud, her best friend. Cloud, the man she had such strong feelings for. The man she-

Ring ring "I'll get it," she said. She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"_Tifa?_" asked the voice on the other end of the line.

"Vincent?" she asked. Both Cloud and Barret looked up. Vincent never called.

"_Yes,_" said Vincent. "_Tifa. Ask Cloud to call me back later. I have something I need to talk with him about._"

"Um, alright," she said. "But, how have you been? We never hear from you."

"_I've been busy,_" said Vincent. "_But I've been fine. I assume you have been as well._"

"Yes," said Tifa.

"_Good,_" said Vincent. "_Please tell Cloud to call me, alright?_"

"Sure."

"_Thank you. Goodbye._"

'That was weird,' she thought, hanging up. She went back and put the last of the leftovers in the fridge. 'What could he want to talk to Cloud about?'

"That was Vincent?" asked Barret. "You sure it was him? The dude never calls."

"It was him," said Tifa.

"What was he calling about?" asked Cloud, drying a plate.

"He wants you to call him later," said Tifa. Cloud nodded. Besides Vincent's call, the night progressed normally. Tifa and Cloud got the kids to bed, and Barret picked out something to read to Marlene. Cloud and Tifa went back downstairs.

They sat on the couch for a while, neither saying anything. Each were lost in their own thoughts. "Cloud," Tifa finally said. Cloud looked up. "If you could, would you make things different?" This question had been running through Tifa's mind for a long time. She decided she finally wanted to ask it.

"What do you mean?" asked Cloud, perplexed.

"If you could wish for something to be different," said Tifa, "And knew that it would come true, would you do it?"

"Different how?" asked Cloud. "I'd say the life we have right now is great. What would I want to change?"

"You know what I mean Cloud," said Tifa. "If you could wish her back, would you?" Cloud looked stunned. Of course that's what he'd thought about, but he didn't realize that that's what Tifa had meant.

"I... I don't know," said Cloud. "I don't know if she was happier here or where she is now. I would only do it if I thought she might be happier for it." Tifa was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. She hadn't expected him to be so selfless about it. She knew how Cloud felt about Aerith. And she knew how she herself felt about Cloud, and about how Aerith felt about him. "Would you?"

"Well..." Tifa said, at length, "I think I would. I miss her, Cloud. She was our friend, after all."

"Is," corrected Cloud. "She is our friend." Tifa nodded. Yes. Cloud still loved Aerith. Could he ever learn to direct those feelings towards her? "But why are you asking all this?" Tifa looked up.

"Hmm? Oh, no reason," said Tifa. "Just something I was thinking about. You know how you sometimes just get a random thought." Cloud smiled.

"Yeah, I know," he said. Tifa smiled back. But she was thinking hard. She knew that just wishing someone back wouldn't actually do anything, but still. It had got her thinking. Would she be willing to bring Aerith back to make Cloud happy? Even knowing what it would mean for herself?

"Well," said Cloud, standing up, "I should go call Vincent. See what he wants to talk about." He walked to the kitchen, leaving Tifa with her thoughts.

888

"Just come by tomorrow night," said Vincent. "At around the time I first called."

"_Why?_" asked Cloud.

"I just need to show you something," said Vincent, looking at the lake.

"_Alright,_" said Cloud. Vincent hung up. He kept looking at the lake. It had already receded. He knew it would be back tomorrow. He could feel it.

'I've tried doing something about it,' he thought. 'But I knew it wouldn't do any good. I know it will react to Cloud, though. I'm sure of it.'

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And there you have it! Chapter 1! Phweeooof! I done did it! I'll get this out of the way right now. I've got something planned for the next chapter (part of which we saw in this one) that's been done before. I can't remember the story, or who wrote it, but I'd like to thank them for the bit of inspiration. The event itself is similar, but the circumstances are different. I'm only saying this so that no one will be getting on my case later about totally copying someone else. While the other story inspired me a bit, my version is still different.

I hope to update soon! See you then!


	2. just a question

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7, just this story. My story. Not your's.

Author's Note: Here we go! Chapter 2! Fair warning, I'm sure there's something in this chapter that's been done before. I've only come across one example of it in my reading, but I'm sure it's been done a lot. Sorry. Oh well, on with the show!

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Cloud knew exactly where he was, although he was a bit confused as to why he was there. He looked at the bright field, waiting for Her to appear. This hadn't happened for a while.

"There you are," said a beautiful, familiar voice. She laughed. "I was wondering when you'd get here." Cloud smiled.

"It's nice to hear you again, Aerith," said Cloud. Aerith smiled, putting a hand on his arm.

"So," she said, "You were talking about me with Tifa today?" Cloud nodded.

"Yes," he replied. "We were talking about you. It... it really got me thinking."

"How so?" asked another familiar voice. He walked up, smiling at Cloud. Like Aerith, he hadn't changed a day since Cloud had last seen him. His other best friend. The one who'd gotten them away from Hojo. Who'd given Cloud his sword, and told him to live.

"Well," said Cloud, "It's just... Aerith, are you happy? I mean, are you happier now, or when you were..."

"Alive?" she finished. She smiled at Cloud's expression. He felt foolish for asking, and his face showed it. "I'm not sure Cloud. It's not so bad, being here. But, I do miss you and all the others."

"I'm surprised she misses you that much," said Zack. "You're always coming here to visit." Aerith smiled.

"You know that's not what I mean," she said. "I miss them, and I'd rather not have to wait for them to return to the planet so I can see them again." She looked back at Cloud. "But how exactly did you come up with that question?"

"It's what Tifa and I were talking about," said Cloud. "She asked me if I would wish for you to come back if I knew that it would come true."

"And you answered?" asked Aerith.

"I said... I said I didn't know," Aerith lifted an eyebrow. "I told her I'd only do something like that if I thought it would make you happy." Aerith smiled.

"That's what was troubling you so much?" asked Aerith. "Wether I would be happy being alive again or staying here?" Cloud nodded. "I'd be happy either way, as long as I got to talk to you." Cloud's eyes widened. He hadn't expected her to say anything like that. "Besides, it was just a question. You can't just wish a person back like that." Cloud nodded. It was true, as much as it pained him to think about it. He'd, of course, love to have Aerith back amongst the living. If he had the power to make that a reality, he might do it now that he knew her feelings about the issue.

It was then that he realized he was putting a lot of thought into this hypothetical question. More thought than he'd given any question he could remember. It was just a question, but it kept nagging him. He couldn't explain it. And what about Zack? How would what was between he and Aertih factor in? There it was again. Thinking too deeply into this. Zack seemed to sense this.

"Cloud," he said, "Walk with me." He started walking off, motioning for Cloud to follow. Zack smiled at Aerith. She smiled back, understandingly. This was going to be one of those man-to-man talks. Cloud followed Zack, wondering what he wanted to talk with him about.

"Cloud," said Zack, after they'd walked a fair distance from Aerith, "I know what you're thinking. Don't worry about this. It's just a question, like Aerith said. But if it'll help you forget about it, I'll let you know something. When Aerith and I were together... well, how do I begin. We cared for each other a lot." Cloud nodded. "I was her first boyfriend, and she was my first girlfriend. Well, only girlfriend, considering what happened." Cloud was still silent. He knew, better than anyone, what had happened. "I'll tell you something. Aerith and I liked each other a lot, Cloud. When I didn't come home, she eventually moved on. She still cared about me, but hey. I had been gone for quite some time. Then she met you. She came to have strong feelings for you, Cloud. They only got stronger as you traveled together. When she died, she died loving you." Cloud's eyes widened once more.

"She..." he began. He said nothing else. He hadn't known exactly how deep her feelings for him had run. Zack nodded.

"So even if she was somehow able to come back to life," said Zack, "She'd be happy if you were with her. And as for me, well... I couldn't imagine her in better hands." Zack smiled. "But it was only a question, right? So cheer up, you knucklehead. Don't get so serious about it!" Zack laughed, and so did Cloud. He'd gotten so hung up on a hypothetical question. He felt better now. They walked back to Aerith.

"Well," she said, "You're in a better mood Cloud."

"Yeah," said Cloud. "I am."

"You know," she said, "You should try waking up Cloud. If not, you'll be late getting started with work and Tifa's going to be awful cross with you." Cloud smiled.

His eyes snapped open. Sunlight was filtering in through the blinds on his bedroom window. He looked at the clock. 9 am. He was gonna be late.

He jumped out of bed and got dressed. He headed downstairs. He had a long day of deliveries ahead. Plus, he had to meet Vincent later. He was still mystified as to what Vincent wanted to see him about, but he knew better than to ask. Vincent was never one for answering questions over the phone. Cloud knew that he preferred to answer them in person.

888

Vincent sat by the lake, waiting. Cloud would be there in a few hours. Vincent would then know wether he was right or not. It would react to Cloud. It had to.

How it would react, he didn't know. In fact, he wasn't sure how Cloud would react.

888

"Maybe I should come with you," said Tifa. Cloud was getting ready to leave. He had to go now if he wanted to meet Vincent on time. And to do that, he'd have to meet Cid on time, as Cid was the only person he knew personally that owned an airship.

"Why?" asked Cloud.

"Well," said Tifa, "I'm curious. I wanna know what Vincent was calling about."

"Well," said Cloud, unsure, "He really only told me to come. He may have his reasons."

"Then call and ask," said Tifa. She was really, **really** curious. The enigmatic Vincent Valentine calling, and then just giving Cloud such strange instructions. She **had** to know what it was all about. Cloud dialed Vincent's number, heading out the door as he did. Wether Tifa was coming or not, he still needed to leave. He hopped onto Fenrir, and Tifa brought out the chocobo. It was a Golden Chocobo named Belinda. They'd had her for about three years. It was with her that they'd discovered a cave on an unmarked island. It had housed a very powerful Materia. Tifa shook herself from these thoughts, snapping back to the present.

"_Hello?_" asked Vincent's voice.

"It's Cloud. Would it be alright if Tifa came too?" There was a puase.

"_I suppose_," said Vincent.

"Alright then," said Cloud. With that, they were off.

888

Vincent hung up. With Tifa coming, things might be complicated. But, he reasoned, she would have found out soon enough anyway. He didn't know how she'd react to it anymore than he knew how Cloud would react to it. Although, he knew how Tifa felt about Cloud. He'd been there too. In love with someone who didn't feel the same way. At least, Cloud didn't seem to feel the same way. In any case, his feelings for Tifa were not as strong as Tifa's feelings for Cloud, and certainly not as strong as Cloud's feelings for Aerith.

'I wonder then,' thought Vincent, 'What exactly will happen tonight. I suppose we'll all see soon enough.'

Cloud drove up about an hour later, Tifa right behind him on Belinda. "Hello Vincent," said Tifa, smiling. "Long time no see!"

"Hello Tifa," said Vincent. "Hello Cloud. You're here on time. Good."

"Hello Vincent," said Cloud. "On time for what? You never said what it was you were going to show me." Cloud dismounted Fenrir, and Tifa got off of Belinda.

"You'll see," said Vincent, looking out at the lake. "It'll happen any minute."

"What will happen?" asked Tifa. Vincent said nothing at first, instead pointing out at the lake.

"The same thing that's happened the last two nights in a row," he said. "Look out to the spot where I'm pointing. Do you recognize that area?" Cloud looked out. How was he supposed to know a specific place on a body of water? Why did Vincent expect him to... Oh. That was why.

"Yes," said Cloud. "I remember that spot." Tifa looked out. "That's where I ... where I placed Aerith." Tifa looked back at Cloud. He looked so sad. None of them said anything for a few moments.

"Why are you pointing to it?" asked Tifa, trying to break the silence.

"Because," said Vincent, "I want you to look out at that spot. It will start any moment now."

"What will-?" began Tifa. She stopped mid question, her focus now entirely upon the lake. The spot was starting to glow. It glowed brighter and brighter with each passing second, and the area of the glow grew wider. Something broke the surface of the water gently, slowly rising up. Only the top was visible at first. It looked like some sort of crystal.

"What is-?" asked Cloud.

"A crystal," said Vincent, "Made of solid mako. Like the one Lucrecia is in."

"Lucrecia?" asked Tifa. "But she's in Northern Cave. Why would a crystal..." She trailed off. The crystal was rising still, and Tifa was beginning to understand. Though Vincent had been very cryptic, she thought she knew what he was trying to say. The crystal kept rising, and now They could make out a human-shaped figure inside. It was glowing to bright to see who it was, but Tifa knew who it had to be.

Cloud kept staring. What was this feeling he was getting? Who was inside the crystal? Could it be...? The crystal suddenly glowed intensely brighter. There was a flash of light. Tifa, Cloud, and Vincent had to blink several times to clear their visions. Vincent had already seen it, but what they saw left Tifa and Cloud in awe. It was Her.

"It's..." said Cloud. Vincent nodded.

"Yes," said Vincent. "Aerith." They all looked at the crystal in amazement.

"How...?" asked Tifa.

"My guess," said Vincent, "Is that this happened after her body was placed in the lake. The properties of the lake became a medium through which the planet could entomb the last of the Cetra. In short, the planet did this to preserve Aerith's body."

"But how did it just come up out of the water?" asked Tifa.

"I'm not sure," said Vincent. "But I have a feeling that it's waiting for something." He looked at Cloud. Tifa looked at Vincent questioningly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I think," said Vincent, "That the crystal has been waiting for Cloud. In fact, It's actually glowing brighter tonight than it ever has." Cloud, however, only caught bits and pieces of what they were saying. His focus was on Aerith. On impulse, he stepped into the lake.

"Cloud!" exclaimed Tifa. "What're you-?"

"Shh," said Vincent, putting a finger to her lips. "Just watch." Cloud continued to make his way forward, getting deeper and deeper into the lake. The water was soon up to his waist.

He reached the crystal. He stared at it for several moments, taking in it's beauty, as well as the beauty of the one inside. Her eyes were closed, and she had a small, peaceful smile on her face. His right hand slowly rose out of the water, and he reached out. He touched the crystal. Ding A small, melodious bell-like sound rang out. The crystal glowed brighter. Suddenly, it began to get smaller. The crystal was disintegrating away.

Soon, all that was left was Aerith's body. She floated for a second, then fell forward. Cloud gasped, and quickly threw out his arms. He caught her, and brought her close to his chest. He then saw something he had thought he'd never see again. She was breathing. Her eyes slowly flickered open. Cloud's widened in surprise.

"C-Cloud?" she asked, her voice faint. Her hand slowly rose up. It started to sink back down, and Cloud gently took hold of her arm. Thanks to the newfound support, Aerith's hand was able to reach up and touch the side of Cloud's face. Aerith's smile grew a tiny bit bigger. "Where's your spike?" Cloud just smiled. He didn't care how odd her question was. The important thing was that she was alive.

Suddenly, her eyes closed, and her hand fell back down. Cloud was afraid at first, but soon realized that she was fine. She had fallen asleep, nothing more. He began walking back to the shore, carrying Aerith bridal style.

Tifa and Vincent had been watching the whole thing. They were totally silent as Cloud made his way back. Tifa had several mixed emotions. Aerith was alive again. Their friend had come back to them. Tifa was happy, but at the same time... she knew. She knew what would happen now.

Vincent looked at Tifa. He also knew what would happen, and he knew what he was thinking. Cloud and Aerith had each other again. He felt a bit sorry for Tifa. He knew how she felt, and what this would mean. At the moment though, he chose to concentrate on Aerith just being back.

Cloud stepped out of the lake and on to dry land. He was smiling. "We should get her back home," he said. Tifa nodded in agreement.

"Are you going to take her on Fenrir?" she asked. Cloud shook his head.

"No," he said, "I'm going to take her back to the airship on Belinda. She's asleep, and I'd feel safer if I took her on the Chocobo. I can use one hand to steer a chocobo much easier than Fenrir."

"Uh," said Tifa, "I'm not exactly good at driving Fenrir though. Motorcycles aren't my thing."

"I can do it," said Vincent. Cloud and Tifa both looked at him. When had he had time to learn how to drive a motorcycle? "I know how to drive one," he said, seeing the looks on their faces. "I've actually been able to for quite some time." With that, Cloud mounted the chocobo, while Vincent got on Fenrir. Tifa got on behind him. Cloud kept Aerith in front of him, one arm around her waist. Tifa put her arms around Vincent's waist, and they started off.

888

They all arrived back at Tifa's bar, tired. They had been questioned the entire trip back. Cloud took Aerith upstairs to one of the guest rooms. Tifa also gave Vincent pne of the guest rooms. It was far too late for him to get back at this point, so he agreed to stay there for the night.

Even though they were exhausted, they all had one, happy thought in common. Aertih was back in their lives again. How or why, they would figure out tomorrow. For now, they would just be happy.

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There you go! So, what did you think?

Anywho, I know I'm not the first person to bring Aerith back to life. I really can't be. Anyway, the next chapter is going to reveal how it is that she was able to come back to life. I'll try and update as soon as I can. So, stay tuned!


	3. home sweet home

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7 (though I do own a copy of the game, Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, and Crisis Core) and also this is my story, so yeah.

Author's Note: Hello all. I'm back. As part of an agreement with a friend, I was to update all of the stories that needed updating, and this one was definitely one of them. The story has been in my head for some time, just brewing away. All I needed was some motivation to get back to work. So, without further ado, here we go.

Important to note, I always assumed that the team in FF7 got along well, just so we're all clear.

* * *

Tifa woke up, and everything was fuzzy for a few moments. She lay in bed, trying to remember her dreams, catching a few pieces here and there, when suddenly things started rushing back.

Aerith was alive! She sat straight up in bed, and became dizzy as a result. She tried to straighten out her thoughts. If it all hadn't been a dream, Aerith was downstairs right now, alive and well.

Tifa got up and quickly got dressed. She went to the door and stopped. No, this was crazy. It had to have been a dream. There was no way that Aerith was alive. It was too good to be true... wasn't it?

She opened the door and walked downstairs. She heard noises in the kitchen, and assumed Barret must be fixing breakfast, as he was usually the first one up. She went into the kitchen and was met with a very unusual scene.

Vincent Valentine was standing there against the wall, and near him sat Cloud, who was being served by Barret. And in between all of this, sitting serenely at the table, sipping a cup of tea, was Aerith.

Tifa froze. Everything in the kitchen stopped. For a moment there was absolute silence. And then there wasn't.

"AERITH!" cried Tifa, her voice filled with a happiness her friends had not heard in a long time. She rushed forward and literally jumped at Aerith. Aerith, with amazing speed and grace, was able to put down her tea and open her arms to receive Tifa, with Barret holding her chair steady. Tifa grabbed Aerith and hugged her tight, burying her face in her shoulder.

"I missed you so much," said Tifa, tears forming.

"I missed you too," said Aerith, resting her cheek on top of Tifa's head, also tearing up a bit. She hugged Tifa back for a while before the younger girl finally let go. They smiled at each other for a moment, and then Tifa stood up. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

"I, uh," she began stuttering. "Um, sorry, I..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"It's alright," said Aerith, smiling at her. "I'm happy to see you too, Tifa." Tifa smiled back, and sat down.

"I just... there are so many questions," Tifa began. "I mean... we..." She looked to Cloud and Vincent, who had each grown somber, knowing what Tifa was going to say. "We were each right there when Sephiroth came down. He... well, we couldn't... we tried everything. Phoenix downs, healing. I even summoned the Phoenix. Nothing worked." A few tears left Tifa's eyes, rolling down her cheeks. "We lost you."

"I know," said Aerith. "I felt the pull. I could feel, from the other side. I felt all of your efforts to bring me back. But there was really nothing you could do."

"But now you're back," said Barret, placing a plate of food in front of Tifa. "An' you put Tifa in such a good mood that I'm surprised she didn't wake the kids." Tifa looked at the clock, a bit more embarrassed now than before. It was early in the morning, around 6. She was actually fairly surprised that she hadn't woken Marlene and Denzel.

"Sorry," said Tifa. "I was just excited." Barret smiled.

"So was I," he said, chuckling. "I'm surprised I didn't wake you up. I mean, I come down here and what do I see after more than three years? Aerith's smiling face, sitting pretty as you please in the kitchen, sipping some tea." Vincent offered a rare smile.

"You should have seen him," he said. "He jumped up and down and then ran and picked her up. I thought he was going to knock something over when he started spinning her around."

"I was so happy I didn't even see this vampire over here," said Barret, smirking in Vincent's direction. Tifa looked to Cloud suddenly.

"You haven't said a word since I got down here," she said.

"Sorry," said Cloud. "I just... well, I keep thinking I'm going to wake up. This all seems too incredible." Aerith put a hand on Cloud's arm, and he covered her hand in his.

"I know," agreed Tifa, smiling at Aerith again. "Still, I'm really confused. Does anyone know what's going on? Aerith, do you know anything about this?"

Aerith opened her mouth to speak, when she was interrupted. "The Flower Lady!" exclaimed a small voice. The adults all looked to see Marlene burst into the room and run over to Aerith. Much like Tifa, Marlene jumped into Aerith's arms and hugged her. "You came back! I knew you would!"

"Hello Marlene," said Aerith, hugging her tight and smiling.

"We all missed you," said Marlene, looking up into Aerith's eyes. "You aren't gonna leave us again are you?"

"Not if I can help it," smiled Aerith.

"Good," said Marlene, grinning. "We took care of the flowers for you."

"Oh?" asked Aerith.

"Yeah, Cloud and I did, and some of the other kids." Aerith looked happily from Cloud to Marlene.

"Thank you both," she said, "and I'll be sure to thank the other kids when I see them." She looked up at the kitchen door. Yet another person had arrived. "And who might this be?"

"My name is Denzel, ma'am," said the young boy, stepping into the kitchen.

"Very nice to meet you Denzel," said the woman in pink. "My name is Aerith. Did you help Marlene and Cloud with my gardening?" The boy nodded. "Thank you." Barret got out two more plates and continued cooking breakfast. Vincent, surprisingly, stepped away from the wall and went over to help him, motioning for Barret to sit down and relax.

As Barret took his seat, they all looked back to their newly recovered friend. "So?" asked Barret. "Like Tifa was askin' earlier. Any idea how you came back?"

"Not entirely sure," said Aerith. "You see, when I was with the planet, I was aware of many things that were going on. I spent a lot of time watching over all of you. But then there was darkness."

"You mean when Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo showed up?" asked Tifa. Aerith shook her head.

"No," she said. "I remember their presence, but that wasn't the darkness I was referring to. It was a little bit after that. Everything suddenly got... hmm, how can I describe it? Well... everything felt cramped up. Everything, all of the planet's energy just got crushed together, and I couldn't really see anything. Then, after a while, everything suddenly expanded again, but I could only see a little bit. I saw you all, but that seemed to be all I could see. I felt more disconnected from the planet. More like I was about to be back on the planet instead."

"What does all that mean?" asked Barret.

"That is a little confusing," said Cloud, scratching his head.

"I think I know," said Vincent, coming to the table with two plates. He set them done in front of Marlene and Denzel, and then took his place on the wall again.

"You do?" asked Tifa.

"Yes," he answered. "I'm a little surprised that you all don't have the idea, it all happened so recently. Omega Weapon." The others were quiet. They indeed remembered the event. It had nearly ended the planet. "Omega Weapon's purpose was to gather the Lifestream and move it to a new planet should the need arise. Aerith is one of the Cetra, the ancients, and therefor has stronger ties to the planet. She would be among those most aware of the Lifestream, even after death. When Omega began to absorb the Lifestream, he must have taken Aerith's spirit as part of it. When Chaos... when I defeated Omega, all of the Lifestream he had gathered was restored to the planet."

"That explains the sudden compression and expansion I felt," said Aerith.

"But that doesn't explain, well, her," said Tifa, gesturing to Aerith.

"Think about it," said Vincent. "If Omega's purpose was to take the Lifestream to a new planet, then the Lifestream, once released, would create new life again, don't you think?"

"That makes sense," said Cloud thoughtfully.

"Once the Lifestream was put back into the planet, new life sprung up," Vincent continued. "Plants came back to life, and everything grew green again. And Aerith, who'd been taken along for the ride, must have found her way to her body again. And as you saw last night, her body was encased in pure Mako."

"How did that happen?" asked Denzel.

"My guess," said Vincent, "Is that upon her death, the planet decided to honor the last Cetra. That particular lake was already a special place. Once her body sank to the bottom, hidden Mako must have reacted to it, and encased her body. Not only did that preserve her, but it also seems to have repaired what we could not. That's my guess, at present."

"So," Tifa said, attempting to clarify everything, "Aerith's perfectly preserved and repaired body received her spirit when she was released back into the planet?" Vincent nodded.

"Wow," said Barret. "That's... well, that's just somethin' else isn't it?" The others nodded in agreement. They all looked back at Aerith. She looked back at them and smiled, a bit puzzled.

"What?" she asked.

"Well," asked Marlene. "Is Mr. Vincent right?" Aerith closed her eyes for a moment, still smiling. Then, after a short while, she answered.

"I really don't know," she said. "It seems likely enough, but I really don't know yet. Maybe the answers will come to me later." She yawned, suddenly feeling very sleepy. She blinked a few times, but her eyes grew heavy. "I know I slept for a long time, but I still feel very tired. I hope no one minds if I go take a nap."

"Of course we wouldn't mind," said Tifa. "You've been through a whole lot. I don't think coming back to life would be easy by any stretch of the imagination."

"Here," said Cloud, standing up, "I'll take you up to my room and you can sleep there."

"Don't worry about it Cloud," said Tifa, also standing. "You got to stay with her all the way back home. Let me take her up to bed." Cloud looked at her curiously, but Tifa smiled at him reassuringly. He conceded, and Tifa led Aerith upstairs. While the others finished up breakfast, Vincent just silently watched them go.

Tifa took Aerith up to Cloud's room and helped her to bed.

"Tifa?" asked Aerith, sleep having not quite overtaken her yet.

"Yes, Aerith?" asked Tifa, pulling the sheets over her friend.

"Are you really happy to have me back?" Tifa looked at Aerith for just a moment before happily answering.

"Of course I am," she said, giving Aerith a hug. "I can't wait til you can keep awake longer. We have so much catching up to do." Aerith fell asleep with a happy look on her face, and Tifa quietly crept out of the room. She carefully closed the door, turned around, and leaned against it, slumping down to the floor.

'Of course I'm happy to have her back,' she thought. She drew her knees up and hugged them to her chest. 'But now that she's here...' She didn't want to think about it, but she knew what would happen now. She saw the way Cloud and Aerith had been looking at each other.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about all of that. The most important thing was that her friend was back. They hadn't known each other long when Aerith was first alive, not long by Tifa's standards at any rate, but in that relatively short time she had made a huge impact on all of their lives.

Nothing had been the same since they had met the flower girl, and nothing would ever be the same again. Tifa smiled though, despite the fact that all the grinning she'd been doing was starting to hurt her cheeks. She smiled because a very dear friend was back. What had been stolen from them had been returned.

Aerith was home.

* * *

Well, there you have it. You know, I'm glad it took me this long to do this chapter. Vincent's explanation was something I came up with possibly before I started this story, and it hasn't changed much since then. However, I was never sure what to do after he explained things. But, now I think I've got it. And for anyone wondering, yeah, I believe Vincent's explanation is the correct one. Omega's interference would have affected several things, and in this case it brought Aerith back. More on that in future chapters.

You can expect somewhat regular updates from now on. You see, a friend of mine gave me a deadline to update all of the stories that I needed to update (NINE) did I wait til the very last minute? Absolutely. However, this same friend gave me a second deadline, a continuous one, and so now I will be updating twice a week starting next week. If you wish, you may thank her in the comments, and I will pass that thanks along to her.

Til next time!


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